Goh could face stiff test

The National Assembly yesterday ended its two-day confirmation hearing on the nomination of Goh Kun as prime minister.
It was uncertain whether Mr. Goh’s nomination would be approved by the Assembly on Tuesday as the Grand National Party, the majority on the floor, argued that appointing the former Seoul mayor could raise moral questions. “Public sentiment will be considered in the vote,” said Park Jong-hee, the GNP spokesman.
In addition to concerns about Mr. Goh, the GNP wants to introduce a bill to name an independent counsel to look into allegations that the June 2000 inter-Korean summit was paid for before voting on Mr. Goh’s nomination. The vote for confirming the prime minister-designate could be called off, as the Millennium Democratic Party strongly objects to the appointment of a special counsel to investigate the alleged cash-for-summit deal.
A GNP lawmaker said Mr. Goh failed to properly address why he missed 20 days of work in May 1980, when the government set up martial law. Mr. Goh, then presidential senior secretary for political affairs, said he quit because he could not cooperate with the military regime.
But he later served as former President Chun Doo Hwan’s transportation minister. At the hearing, Mr. Goh said that he served the Chun administration because he considered it as constitutional. Several witnesses at the hearing said that if Mr. Goh quit his job in 1980 he never submitted a letter of resignation. Other witnesses said he did formally resign.
The GNP lawmaker also said Mr. Goh showed a lack of conviction in responding to questions on pending issues. When asked for his views on President Kim Dae-jung’s remark that a presidential prerogative should not be subject to judicial inquiry, Mr. Goh said he could only clarify his stance if the facts of the cash-for-summit allegation are dealt with. Mr. Goh also said that it is not up to him to pass judgment on the prosecutors’ decision not to investigate the charges.
Members of the GNP said they had originally considered approving Mr. Goh, Mr. Roh’s first nominee for the job of prime minister, as the absence of a prime minister could result in an administrative vacuum at the start of the Roh administration.
Mr. Park, the GNP spokesman, said the party is determined to pass the bill that would approve an independent counsel before voting on Mr. Goh’s confirmation Tuesday.
Normally, voting on appointments of senior government officials takes priority in the Assembly.

by Lee Sang-il, Shin Yong-ho